bendandsnack

Account Exec

Underpaid on base with a high quota - sexist or nah

Hey guys,

Just finishing up my first year as an AE. a former manager came to my team and told me what the salary bands should be. Found out I'm paid $15k below where the bands START.

Spoke with the only other female on my team(on a team of 30 mind you) & she's paid below as well.

We're both top performers, especially her, beat most by millions last year. I was just awarded a tough territory I don't want because "if anyone can break in it's you."

Just received our quotas. I found out mine is 40% higher than an older male "strategic" rep who has a way higher base than mine and was handed a couple of Enterprise existing customers on a silver platter. The new male rep they just hired who I'm splitting my territory with is also getting paid at the top of our salary bands.

Does this sound sexist or am I overreacting here? I asked for a bump & my manager brought my base up to the minimum, you can do better buddy.....

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FoodForSales

Politicker

9

AE

As a woman I can honestly say that most of the gaps in pay I have seen are due to women not asking for more money at the start.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I’d go along with this too. I asked, I received. But my colleagues didn’t when they joined.

punishedlad

Tycoon

0

Business Development Team Lead

100%
Did you negotiate your salary at all when you started?

Sunbunny31

Politicker

6

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

The strategic rep may be in a different role, but the one who is the same situation as you? Nah. Straight up wrong. Getting you to the minimum was a start, but it never should have played out that way in the first place.

If they’re willing to do this to you and your other female colleague, what else are they willing to do?

CuriousFox

WR Officer

2

🦊

And what else have they already done 🤔

Sunbunny31

Politicker

0

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Exactly.

braintank

Politicker

5

Enterprise Account Executive

Leave?

Justatitle

Big Shot

3

Account Executive

uhm, there isn't even a question. also sounds like an HR nightmare and potential lawsuit.

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

3

Rolling 20's all day

100% sounds either sexist OR (since you're a newer AE) they think they can get away with it and pull the wool over your eyes.
If you really are this far below, it's worth bringing it up especially if your accomplishments have been great.

Pachacuti

Politicker

3

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Not to be a jerk, but you can always leave.

That said, you did a poor job negotiating as well. You don’t know your worth and you accepted what you thought you are worth.

All that said, I would march into the boss’s office and demand to be at least at the bottom of the band, if not right in the middle or top. But that’s just me.

Mendizo

Opinionated

3

Sr. Director

I'm sorry this is occurring with you, and definitely is not right! I've always been a firm believer in paying for performance, not for gender, location, etc.
It's interesting that you mentioned you are 'tight' with your manager, but he only brought you up to the base. It may be that he is facing pressure on his end from HR.
Hopefully your manager would know this and is already doing it, but anything you can help him with in regards to a narrative is important.
The fact that you are female is obviously one point, but I think the bigger emphasis should be on the fact that you have a cold territory that you need to hunt into, which is vastly different. One potential tack could be that you keep your base the same, but perhaps your commission rate/BLR/whatever your company terms it is higher. So for example, if someone is on a 50/50 base/variable at $150k/$150k with a $2M quota, that is a 7.5% effective commission rate (outside of multipliers). So, what if they kept your base the same, but was able to effectively increase the commission rate? Then, every dollar you close will be worth much more to you than for others, allowing you to earn potentially much higher variable pay. Your manager might be able to argue for this because the company known outlay is the same (same base), and they only pay you relatively more when you've booked deals, which is much easier to argue with HR for.

J.J.McLure

Politicker

2

Owner at *redacted*

It does sound sexist. Before I say this next part let me say that I am 100% for equal work getting equal pay no matter what.

Now… many companies will pay as little as they can get away with regardless of sex. In my current company, when I was hired I was offered the same base amount as a woman senior sales rep that had been at the company for 6 years (I found out details later after talking with her) I didn’t accept the offer and I asked for $10k/yr more which I received. She was pissed for me making more than her, but it’s only because I asked for it.
Completely anecdotal, take it for what it’s worth 🤷🏻‍♂️

I would say for anytime; Know and fight for your worth.

TennisandSales

Politicker

1

Head Of Sales

Ugh sounds pretty sexiest to me! What’s your next move ?

bendandsnack

Politicker

1

Account Exec

I’m tight with my manager & he’s been relying on me a lot to help build out the territory. I’ll bring it up with him to see what he says after my upcoming performance review, while also applying elsewhere to see what’s out there

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

1

Sales Rep

Have an unbroken account and a higher quota, how does that make any sense.
"if anyone can break in it's you." Is a trap, I got stuck in that situation for a year, and it really sucked. Guess what I never broke it and lived on base and left the company.

HVACexpert

Politicker

0

sales engineer

😬 pretty clear issue here

RandyLahey

Politicker

0

Account Executive

Maybe you can ask that rep what their role entails with more details? Outside of concrete justifications for the higher salary, then yeah your suspicious may be valid. Good luck.

TheEnglishMajor

Opinionated

0

Account Executive

Raise. Hell.
Same thing happened to me, and I sat my CEO down to demand a raise.
Be ready to quit if you don't get fair pay.
Want to know why you can have that confidence? Because you can get ready to sue if you don't get fair pay.

Saleskiller

Valued Contributor

0

Account Executive

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